North Providence Has Paid Hundreds of Thousands to Pro-Trump Congressional Candidate for Lobbying
Tuesday, October 04, 2022
The City of North Providence has paid pro-Trump Republican candidate for Congress in Massachusetts, Dean Martilli, $239,500 over the past five-plus years in lobbying fees.
When North Providence Democrat Mayor Charlie Lombardi was reached about the city's relationship with Martilli, he told GoLocal he was unaware that he was running for Congress.
Not only is he running, but he is also running against the powerful Democrat Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Richard E. Neal (D-CD1)
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAs GoLocal reported on Monday, Martilli was once the chief of staff to former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy. He was forced to resign from Kennedy’s staff after questions emerged about whether Martilli properly reported lobbying fees.
Martilli was paid $97,300 by Kennedy's congressional office -- just under the threshold that required members of Congress and aides to file public statements disclosing their personal finances.
And, another $40,000 was paid to Martilli from Kennedy's campaign fund, according to a syndicated news story at the time.
North Providence Contract
According to the record of payment reported by Open Secrets, North Providence has paid Martilli the following in lobbying fees:
2017: $30,000
2018: $60,000
2019: $59,500
2020: $40,000
2021: $40,000
2022: $10,000 reported to date
Open Secrets reports are based on data from the U.S. Senate Office of Public Records for lobbying.
Lombardi said Martilli has worked to help North Providence with its effort to secure funding to replace lead water pipes, but the city has used an existing source of federal funds.
The Remove the Whole Lead Pipe Program (RWLP) is a partnership between the Town of North Providence and Providence Water and utilizes federal Community Development Block Grant dollars via the Office of Housing and Community Development of the state. Each year North Providence and other Rhode Island cities and towns receive federal allotments of CDBG funds.
“The CDBG funds allow us to provide the funding from where Providence Water stops in the middle of the street to replace the [lead] pipe to the house," said Lombardi.
It is unclear if Martilli secured funding over the past five-plus years. Martilli did not respond to requests for comments.
Lombardi said Martilli has been involved in organizing some community meetings. And, the town was recognized for its effort to replace lead pipes by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2018.
Martilli has donated $3,300 to Lombardi and $200 to Dino Autiello, the town council president.
While Martilli is supposed to be working Washington, D.C. contacts on behalf of North Providence, in his race for a seat in Congress as a Republican, he is blasting the Biden administration and Democratic members of Congress — regularly.
On September 2, Martilli posted to social media, “Joe Biden said he would be a president for all Americans. Add this to the long list of lies. Last night he made an unprecedented call to arms against his political opposition. His rhetoric is dangerous. Anyone who supports this is dangerous.”
He also criticized the Biden administration for its energy policy and management of inflation. His other favorite target is Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Martilli claimed that the investigation by the FBI at former President Donald Trump’s Florida home was political.
“This raid by the FBI is unprecedented in the treatment of a former president. It is beyond appalling to see this type of weaponization of the DOJ [Department of Justice]. This is beyond shameful. Again, we see the FBI being politicized under the guidance and leadership of President [Joe] Biden, Director [Christopher] Wray and Attorney General [Merrick] Garland,” said Martilli.
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